November 29, 2011

Plotting Princess Vicki Batman: Holiday Countdown Time!

Halloween is long gone and Thanksgiving and Black Friday ended last week. The stores have had holiday decorations up for months. Christmas is around the corner.

I have traditions with my family, and the most important one is watching the movie "White Christmas" on Christmas Eve.

Back in the dark ages, television had only a few networks. No cable, no videos. Just television. And on Christmas Eve, our local station would air "White Christmas."

When my grandmother was alive, my family and extended relatives went to her house on Christmas Eve. When we returned home afterwards, my sisters and I would turn on the movie. We knew all the songs and sang along.

I carried the tradition into my marriage, and when my boys grew old enough, they viewed it with me. (And yes, they learned the songs too!)

Over the years, my family and I have added to our movie repertoire. There's the one with the kid and the BB gun, "A Christmas Story." "Millions," "It's a Wonderful Life," "Stalag 17," "Love, Actually." And "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," "Charlie Brown Christmas," "How the Grinch Stole Christmas."

I like to watch each of those every year and preferably with a family member.

So let's start a list. What are your holiday favorites?

White Christmas

A Christmas Story

Millions

It's a Wonderful Life

Stalag 17

Love, Actually

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

Charlie Brown Christmas

How the Grinch Stole ChristmasThe Family Man
The Holiday
The Christmas Card
A Season for Miracles
Silent Knight
Silver Bells
Holiday in Handcuffs
The Family StonePlanes, Trains, and AutomobilesWhile You Were SleepingElf29th StreetMiracle on 34th Street (original)The Bishop's WifeThe Polar ExpressChristmas in ConnecticutNational Lampoon's Christmas VacationA Christmas CarolHoliday AffairBad SantaLast HolidayNoelHoliday InnStar in the SkyBells of St. MaryThe RefLife of BrianThe Night They Saved ChristmasScrooge w/Albert FinneyA Diva's ChristmasMr. Magoo's Christmas CarolMeet John DoeChristmas in CanaanMuppets Christmas CarolThe Santa Clause

With a bowl of white cheddar cheese popcorn and a diet Coke, Vicki is on the couch and indulging in her favorite traditions. Find her at: http://vickibatman.blogspot.com

58 comments:

I LOVE Christmas stories and have loaded up my DVR with them to get me through the holidays. More movies I love are:

The Family ManThe HolidayThe Christmas CardA Season for MiraclesSilent KnightSilver BellsHoliday in HandcuffsThe Family StoneIt's a Wonderful Life! (I still wish I could just see it on TV and "catch" it whenever it's on.)

Your post puts me in the holiday mood. I like all the ones you mentioned, but I also like While You Were Sleeping with Sandra Bullock and Bill Pullman (Romantic comedy) and Elf with Will Farrell (funny!)

There's an old one with Anthony Di Paglia that I absolutely loved, and I think it is around Christmas time or New Years, but I'm not sure. It's 29th Street. Go rent it!

My all-time favorite is A Charlie Brown Christmas but Home Alone (the original only) holds a special place in my heart since it was the first movie my husband and I saw together when we were dating. We still (after 20 years) have a special date night whenever we find out it's being aired.

Vicki, I love Christmas movies. White Christmas is also one we watch every year. Here's a list of some of my faves. I'm sure I'll forget a few.

White ChristmasChristmas in Connecticut (my most favorite)National Lampoon's Christmas VacationIt's a Wonderful LifeA Christmas Carol (the 1951 version with Alistair Sim is the best IMO)Miracle on 34th Street (the original)Holiday Affair with Janet Leigh and Robert Mitchum (catch this one if you can-a real romance)The Hallmark and Lifetime Christmas romance moviesIf I can think of more,I'll post them later.

Great list, Vicki! It's a Wonderful Life is my all time favorite!!! Jimmy Stewart is the best! Love, love, love him!!! And as far as Christmas comedies go, Bad Santa is hilarious with Billy Bob..though it is too naughty for kids...lol! Did you see Michael Buble singing Christmas songs on the Today Show yesteday!? Thought of you. ;) You have to get his new Christmas album! I know I will!

wow - what a great post - I love OLD movies - I miss the days when networks had afternoon movies and the late late late movie instead of infomercials.

While I like the few traditional staples mentioend I'm with Pam on the Bishops Wife with Cary Grant - that is my all time favorite Christmas movie.

I also get a huge kick out of Christmas in connecticut with Barbara Stanwyck that Cara mentioned.

and I'm right with Liz with While You Were Sleeping - even though I think getting married in your pajamas with an IV is the dumbest idea the screen writes had - lol.

another movie I enjoy that I don't think was mentioned is an old remake with Queen Latiffa called Last Holiday. It's got a simple quirkiness to it much like the oldtime movies I so love to watch over and over.

Wow! Holiday movies...I look at the lists here and see how many I HAVEN'T seen! Wow That list is long,lol! I am embarrassed to say I have never seen It's a Wonderful Life...but Miracle on 34th street I have seen several times. I always liked How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Christmas Vacation & of course Home Alone! I always enjoyed the Christmas cartoons too!~Cathy McElhaney~

I knew I'd be smiling the entire time reading this. I love all the classics including The Bishop's Wife. Of course It's A Wonderful Life. Love Actually....OH MY GOSH! One of my favorites. There's one other I found because I was going through a Paul Walker obsession that is Noel. Different but strangely emotional. So many others...

I knew I'd leave here feeling magical...thanks Vicki. You know how to energize a day with that magical thing you do.

One year we gave the boys BB guns. They got up early and came running into our room saying "we got BB guns!" Handsome and I said at the same time, "Don't shoot your eyes out." Instead, nearly a year later, they shot at each other in the house. Boys!

For those who haven't heard of Star, my sissie found it after another holiday movie aired and fell in love with it. It is a special take on the Christmas Story, set in the west in the forties (?). No big deal famous actors, just a wonderful short film.

My favorite of all time is White Christmas. It is not Christmas for me unless I watch it. For a few years - between TV stations not showing it and the videos tape being released; I couldn't watch it and I missed it so much.

I can sing all the songs, quote most of the lines and get a wonderful, warm feeling all over when it's over.

I also put Holiday Inn and the Bells of St. Mary’s up way there in my favorite category. I enjoy While You Were Sleeping and Polar Express, but they aren’t yet on my must see every year list.

Hi, Phyllis: Two years ago, all my family was in town for Christmas and on Christmas Eve, we stuck in the "White Christmas" DVD. We sang all the songs and laughed along. Too much fun. I completely understand how this movie moves you.

LOVE Elf, It's a Wonderful Life and The Christmas Story ("Daddy's gonna kill Ralphie..." - I'm giggling as I type!) Love the list! Thanks for letting us share our faves - you know I'm all about the movies!!!

Here's one for you Sasha: "Good Sam," starring Gary Cooper, is about a family man whose generosity to everyone causes problems to at Christmas time. New meaning to the moral "what goes around comes around."

My top three are already listed (The Bishop's Wife, Miracle on 34th Street and White Christmas), so let me add three Christmas Carol adaptations I enjoy: Scrooge starring Albert Finney, A Diva's Christmas starring Vanessa Williams and Mr Magoo's Christmas Carol. My eyes tear up just thinking about Jim Backus singing I'm all alone in the world. Another Frank Capra classic I like maybe even more than It's A Wonderful Life is Meet John Doe. Frank Capra's movies always go straight to my heart. Thanks for the post. I'm going to look up some titles I've never seen before.

I love White Christmas, love the era and the feel. Got to watch the Grinch. Last year I watched a Hallmark movie, Christmas in Canaan that was good, another period flick. Don't laugh, but I also watch Three Days of the Condor, an old Redford/Dunway film. Hey, Silver Bells is playing in the background so that counts, right?

Hi, Pam: I don't know "Christmas in Canaan." I'll look it up. As for "Three Days of the Condor," I don't even remember music in the background at all, especially with hunky Robert Redford in any movie.

Hi Vickie,I'm late to the party again. Actually we had our Christmas luncheon today at work. One of the ladies is going on medical leave, so we did it early, but the best surprise was the Christmas Bonus Check!! Yahoo!

You guys have listed all of my favorite movies. But I haven'seen Holiday in Handcuffs. I'm going to have to rent that one.

I loved The Polar Express. I saw it in Wal Mart on a TV and started crying because of a traumatic time in our life dealing with my husbad's health.Then there is The Muppets version of A Christmas Carol that is sweet. The one with Tim Allen as Santa Claus is good. I like a lot of movies but we don't have any particular tradition of watching them. Probably because except for when we were in Germany and Hawaii we were always traveling for Christms with his family and mine. Never more than a few hours but we never watched movies.

Our neighbors across the street introduced us to The Christmas Story a few years ago. We love watching it. My husband and I made the leg lamp for our neighbor. We found a leg model used in stores for hosiery sales at a garage sale for $3. So much fun sneaking around making it in the workshop. I had a hard time finding the stocking for it...anybody need one fish net stocking and one of the high heels? LOL..

Hear Ye! Hear Ye!

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